St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-11
The Wrangle Over the Burgess Street
Car Franchise Takes Fresh and
Vigorous Start.
The Ordinance Granting the Company
What 1t Asks Finally Given Its !
First Reading. Y
Another Wrangle Of Some Length Over
the Ordinance Governing the Build {
ing Of Places of Amusement. |:
The Entire Special Meeting Devoted to
the Consideration of Ordinances
of Various Kinds.
ANOTHER BATTLE WON.
The Burgess Street Railway Comes
Out Ahead. j

The Burgess Street Railway Comes
Out Ahead. y
The first order of business at yester-
days special meeting of the city coun-
Gil. called by Mayor Ames, was the con-
sideration of the ordinance granting
franchise to the West Side OF Burgess
Street Railway company. Aid. E. NJ.
johnson offered the following motion:
That all further action in regard to the
passage of any ordinance authorizing the
Minneapolis West Side Railway company to
lay single or double tracks on any streets or
avenues in the city of MINNEAPOLIS be post
poned for two years.
He sustained his motion with one of
his energetic speeches. saying that the
route of the proposed line would accom-
modate comparatively few people. 1t
was not needed and, in fact, would
prove nuisance instead of a benefit.
Ii the franchise was granted he thought
the council would be powerlesS to order
extensions of the Minneapolis street
railway or Lowry system, as litigation
would surely follow. Besides, bad
precedent would be established, and
applications would be made from other
companies for franchises. Aid. Dwyer
said he was in favor of the ordinance
wanted it. He intimated that Aid.
johnson was acting as though he was
Lowry'S paid attorney. He wanted to
see competition, and thought the new
company would be running cars to the
Union depot inside of five years if
granted this franchise.
Aid. Gibson said he had from the first
been opposed to a new street railway
company. If this franchise was granted,
he thought the council would be over
whelmed with petitions for franchises
from other companies. He thought one
company, which could be controlled and
compelled to make extensions, was bet
ter than half dozen which could not.
Aid. Mills said Oh the same principle
there should be but one doctor in the
city. Feb. IL he offered motion which
was referred to the committee OH rail-
roads, of which Aid. Johnson is chair
man, and it was with great difficulty
that he had been able to unearth it. He
thought he saw in this tendency to
protect monopoly. Tom Lowry has
made 100000 in the past year, and it
was time he had some competition.
The workingmen of North Minneapolis
want that they should be allowed to
ride to their destinations for one fare.
Aid. L'Herault-You might as we'll
say that there should be only one flour
mill. Lowrry's company has been in ex=
lStence twelve years and has refused to
give transfer tickets, but is willing to
do SO now because there is another COM
pany. Another thing. The Lowry COM
pany has not kept its promises to make
extensions ordered. The treatment the
people of New Boston have received is
an example.
Aid. johnson said in reply that the ar
guments of Aid. L'IIerault and Mills
were not in point. 1t should be UNDER
stood that the city has entire control OF
the franchise of the Lowry system and
can settle where lines shall run, where
passengers shall be carried and the fare
which shall be paid. Ii extensions have
not been made it is the councils fault!
Ii the ordinance is granted the Burgess
company litigation is sure to follow;
which would be likely to prevent any
extensions being made by either COM
pany for perhaps five or ten years. Aid.
Parker disputed this last assertion, as
did Aid. Mills, who read extracts from
the ordinance governing the Lowry
franchise. Aid. johnson asked the
privilege. of speaking for third time,
but Aid. Dwyer objected and was sus-
tanned by the council. A vote was then
taken on Aid. JOhnsOn's motion to post
pone action for two years, and it was
lost by a majority which obviated the
the taking of the yeas and nays. The
clerk then read the ordinance and Aid.
Mills moved to give it second reading.
Aid. Cooley raised the point of order
that as the special meeting of the coun-
Gil for the purpose of considering the
first reading, that this was all that could
be given. The point was sustained and
the ordinance went over under the